Trapt

trapt

What’s one of the biggest cliches in gaming? Cute, defenseless princess gets kidnapped and a hero needs to come to save her (not mentioning names Peach.) I found this PS2 pseudo-horror game on accident and while it kicked my ass, it also was a rarity for me at the time- a game that is badass but made me think.

Allura is a princess on the run after her father is murdered and she is framed by her evil stepmother. Her only refuge seems to be a Gothic manor where she gets possessed by essentially the Devil. She gains the power to summon traps in the house to kill her pursuers.

I will tell you off the bat I didn’t play the game in English but Japanese dub with English subtitle; I’m not sure if there is a English dub. The game isn’t perfect but fun. You set traps along the floor, wall, and ceiling, and use yourself to lure your prey to them. Besides these traps, you are defenseless so don’t get cornered and keep moving. The traps are cool and damn right cruel by the end, so if you are a Saw fan I’d definitely check it out. There are very elusive ultimate environmental traps that once triggered are disturbingly awesome, unless you get caught in them that is. Your own traps can kill you. Graphically, the game looks pretty and sounds nice. I found myself near rage-quit a few times because of either a bullshit kill or a certain boss that is a absolute pain about half way through. I’d recommend some research before buying but I found it alright in the end. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dante’s Inferno (game)

dante's inferno

I miss a time when EA games made games that hooked me, instead of killed things I loved like DeadSpace and Star Wars: Battlefront. Also by Visceral, we got a game adaptation of the dark epic poem by Dante Alighieri, journeying into the depths of hell.

Dante is a knight who went off to slay and lay for god during the Crusades, only to have his broken promises to his beloved Beatrice come back and bite him in the ass. The Devil comes and takes her as his own to punish Dante, forcing him to face the Grim Reaper guarding the gates of hell. After getting the Reaper’s scythe and a powerful holy cross he must fight through the River Styx, Purgatory, and all 9 levels of hell, battling the damned as well as his own demons to save Beatrice and slay the Devil.

I’m going to be blunt and call this what it really kinda was, God Of War with a creepier skin. A LOT of the gameplay is lifted from God of War, so if you aren’t into hack/slash type games, this isn’t for you. What sells the game hands down is the level and enemy designs which are truly beautiful and horrifying. I do like finding real historical figures in hell, hearing there stories and choosing whether to absolve them to heaven or damn them to oblivion. On a bad note though, towards the end the game fizzles out by the end and the Devil is a pretty lame final boss. I still think the game is worth checking out and at the very least admired  for showing us a classic but freaky hell. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

A Way Out

a way out

Here is the concept for  A Way Out, 2 guys in prison must break out, go on a revenge mission. There is a small catch here tho. This game must be played with a friend, and both in-game characters have very different personalities and ways of doing things. Every so often the 2 players that must choose one of the 2 characters will have to pick which idea to take.

Leo is more of the loose cannon hardened criminal type. He meets things more head one.  Vincent on the other hand is more down to earth and thought out. That isn’t to say he isn’t willing to go off the deep end a bit, at one point you end up torturing a guy together.

The game play itself is smooth and the game while not the best looking game is still quite beautiful, I had no complaints in this department, especially at the $30 price point it’s offered at. The game does run a little on the short side, but this is most likely so people can play through multiple times with various people. The game is actually one of the few games I have played that required 2 players that I honestly did not mind the requirement. Also the fact that one person can download the free trial then play the full game with someone who owns the game is fantastic in itself. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

gta vice city

I wasn’t alive for the 80’s but damn if I don’t love things that came out of it: over the top action movies and slasher films, bad hair styles, and music you love or hate that you love. Vice City screams the 80’s.

Tommy Vercetti gets screwed and has to track down who…ok, let’s be honest as friends, do people really play GTA for the story? Sure, I’m sure some do. Back then we didn’t have much massive open world games and when we bought games, they were actually whole game- imagine that, buying a video game without pay walls, DLC, or season passes. My experience, the story in GTA: Vice City is your standard crime thriller, mandatory double cross in all.

So let’s talk game play; how does it hold up a decade plus later? My opinion, about as well as it’s predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 3 . Not that great. The graphics are a step up, and there’s much more than just cars and the rare plane this time. When get motorcycles, boats, and motorcross bikes this time around and a good selection and handling for each. Hell, for one mission we get a damn tank. Yes a tank. For controversial shit, they went into F bomb territory: aw Ricardo Diaz. The biggest drawback is the gunplay is still kinda crappy. Towards the end you will get frustrated as gunplay becomes a bigger pain in the ass. It’s fun and nostalgic but it won’t rock your world. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Grand Theft Auto 3

gta 3

I grew up with Grand Theft Auto, beginning with this entry as many- controversies and all. Yes, most people played it to kill anything that moved, wreck cars, blow shit up, and occasionally pick up a hooker or two and watch the car rock while you two just sat awkwardly in it. For a while, this game was every parent’s worst nightmare.

Though not as raunchy and vulgar as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas , this game sets the stage. You and a dude named 8-Ball get set up, go to prison, and get free when the transport gets wrecked and now you gotta figure out who the hell was behind it as you dig into the crime infected hellhole that is Liberty City.

In 2001, this game really set a new precedent for open world games to come and the amount of freedom you could possess in them. 2018, much of the game hasn’t aged well I’m afraid. Graphics range from meh to damn right crappy, water past knee high kills you super quick, gun play is sloppy, and the missions become punishing too quickly at times. But the game is hilarious. Whether you are getting beaten up by the elderly, listening to a mobster cry about his mommy issues on the radio, or listen to the absurd random crap the people say walkin down the street (I’m hot and you’re not.) Driving handles pretty well after all this time and the stunts are cool.  It ain’t a terrible game but don’t expect a legendary experience after all this time. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Fortnite, first impressions

download (3)

Fortnite, in the few months it’s been out, has become a runaway sensation. Everyday my friends play it; everyday I wonder what’s the big deal. Finally, Savior and I gave it a try last night and after 6 matches I feel like I have a fair opinion. The short version: Fortnite feels almost like a Hunger Games simulator. You get dumped off, (if you are smart) you haul ass to avoid the crowds, get some kind of supplies, and haul ass to survive a map and host of other players that want you dead. I can’t stress that tidbit enough: don’t go for the balls-out approach unless you are really leveled up or you have a full group. Savior and I creeped around and gathered what we could for a decent chance at surviving later encounters. Gameplay is surprisingly solid for both gunplay and crafting. My favorite aspect was the tension I felt as we went creeping about, not knowing what or who we would find next. This is ABSOLUTELY a game I recommend playing with your buddies because I can see it getting boring, if not totally annoying if played alone.

To round out this review, I’d like to share a video, courtesy of our friend Sir Feliciano of Jonathan Media Group @ Youtube of him getting his ass kicked but having fun. I also gave him a shout out for his help on my Immortal Unchained (Alpha) preview. post. May the gaming gods bring you glory and enjoy.

Surviving Mars (Xbox One)

surviving mars

This is one of those games I pondered, should I or should I not buy this game. Then I saw it had three versions. Which one do I buy? Do I risk buying he base $40 version, loving the game and having to buy all the bullshit later? Or do I buy the biggest version and risk blowing money on a game I hate? So like any irresponsible gamer I picked up the Deluxe edition with some of the cool extra stuff . Turns out it splitting the middle bit me in the ass a little since it turns out I loved the game.

I started out pretty excited since I have always enjoyed the genre ever since I played the original Sim City on Super Nintendo. So I loaded up, set it up and picked a landing site. Upon landing I started to set up some basic resources. Cement, metal and electricity.  It wasn’t long until water and air followed and then I finally called in some living humans to settle the red planet. That is when it all went down hill. the pipes carrying air to the dome busted and everyone started to suffocate. After rushing to find some extra metal to fix the pipes, because I ran out, I managed to save them. Then an electrical wire went and they lost everything again. As I called Earth requesting more and more supplies in an attempt to catch up I never really managed to do it as my early bad decisions and even worse timing continued to kick me when I was down. Time to restart.

So I pick a new landing site, My rocket hits the ground and I immediately get to work. This time every resource gets its own dedicated depot for storage. I start minding mining concrete and metal as fast as I can while calling in multiple resupply ships. As I build my first dome I also focus on building more air and water than I need and double up on pipes and power lines so if one goes out everything keeps functioning. This time goes much smoother and as my colonist arrive and my second dome goes up and starts moving thing faster things start getting easier.

The game looks beautiful and the music is great and varied with each station having its own fun little commercials. I also wouldn’t classify the game as hard but it can be a challenge, but the game does punish you for your mistakes and one disaster can have a cascading effect on colony as a whole. The game is very well done and any fan of the genre would be wise to give this one a chance. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dark Souls 2 Scholars of the First Sin

dark souls 2

A pretty long time ago @torstenvblog covered Dark souls 2…oh my Tho I myself never really got to play it. That changed recently when I got a pretty sweet deal on it for Xbox. And I have to say having played it on PS4 a little and my Xbox One X visually there is a substantial difference. That being said the game looks pretty damn good either way. But it is a bit dated seeing as how since than we have has Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3.

@torstenvblog hit the nail pretty much right on the head when he said some of the bosses were amazing and some were pretty much the same as bosses from the previous game. Some are even just boring as hell mob bosses that serve no real purpose other than to be annoying. The difficulty bounces between why did I bother and who the hell beats this without getting hit? All things considered the game is fun, but it is far from being the best in the series. In fact I would go so far as to say it is probably the worst in the Soulsborne series, tho that still makes it the worst in one of the best series ever created. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Gravel PS4 Review

gravel

Its not often I play a racing game, not that I have anything against them, they just aren’t my deal. This one tho caught my eye since admittedly the the trailer had good music and dirt racing is more fun than NASCAR to me. That actually sums the game up pretty nicely tho. The game has numerous race styles, tho I liked spinning out in the snow. Yea I sucked and spent most of my time drifting into walls. The graphics looked great and the music was fun. The car had plenty of car options with different paint jobs. There are certainly racing games with more customization out there make no mistake there, but this one has enough to get the job done and there are enough races to make the price tag worth it. For fans of the style, its a must by. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Chrono Trigger PC Review

CT2

As you may remember this game got some a lot of flak when it first got released, more on that here Chrono Trigger PC..Sort Of. After spending some time with it I won’t say some of it wasn’t deserved, because it was. But it was quite a bit exaggerated as well. For example graphically the game did have some issues. The filter they used was a bit off and some of the trees looked off. The user interface however wasn’t as bad as the steam reviews would lead you to believe. You could use the mouse sort of like a touch pad where you old down the right-click and walk around, but I found that on accident. You don’t have to use that. Using my PS4 controller worked perfectly fine and gave me no issues at all.

The game played perfectly fine, the story is there completely and the combat works just the way you think it would. Getting used to what buttons to hit took a few minutes but being a console gamer playing a PC game I always have that issue. If you never played this game before, I have no issue recommending this one. However if you have a Nintendo DS or 3DS the DS version is the best version to own. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.